[Post by Evelyn] It seems like there’s a celebration in Cuenca every week, and today was no different. When Burt was walking to Spanish class this morning, he was surprised to see people “pushing” several wheel chairs down from El Centro to Otorongo Plaza. Because the street was so steep, the drivers were actually in […]
National Strike — Cuenca Style
Ecuadorian president Correa has had an unprecedented 84% approval rating in his country until recently. He has improved education on many fronts, reduced crime in every category, improved infrastructure, and generally been a very positive, and thus popular, president. With his political party having an overwhelming majority in Congress, he can push through almost any […]
Corpus Christi Fireworks
Today was the first day of Corpus Christi. It began with a procession, which I wrote about in a separate blog entry. Tonight was the opening day fireworks. There will be fireworks and castles every night for seven days. Fireworks in Cuenca are nothing like in the States, where you must keep a “safe distance.” […]
Corpus Christi Procession
Corpus Christi started today, and not many places celebrate it as largely as Cuenca, Ecuador. Also known as Septenario, this was originally an indigenous celebration of the June Solstice, but was co-opted by the Catholic Church in the 1600’s and turned into a Christian event. One of the highlights for many is the booths filled […]
Another Senior Moment
Evelyn blows out the candle on her special dessert cake Burt turned 65 in February. Evelyn caught up today, so she now qualifies for the Ecuadorian term of Tercera Edad or Anciano, meaning she is now in her Third Life (aka Senior Citizen). In Ecuador, that is a major milestone, which qualifies for half price […]
Wooden Car Race
Today, April 12, is Foundation Day in Cuenca, Ecuador. The city was founded 458 years ago, and there are celebrations of various types for the entire month. Last night we saw one of the largest fireworks displays from our apartment window that we have seen since arriving here. Today, there was a “Wooden Car Race” […]
“Persona De La Tercera Edad” or “Person of Age”
Burt earned the status today of “Tercera Edad”, also known as “Senior Citizen”. In Ecuador, seniors are revered and benefit from discounts when they reach the age of 65. Not only do they go to the front of the line at banks, Burt can now get 50% discount off all in-country transportation or flights initiated […]
Ambato Carnaval Parade
The numerous floats looked like they came out of the Rose Bowl Parade, created almost entirely of fresh flowers and fruits We are spending the week in Ambato, Ecuador to see a different kind of Carnaval than we have had in Cuenca for the past couple years (where the week is a snoozefest punctuated by […]
Toro!
For decades, we have wanted to see a bullfight. Not that I endorse cruelty to animals, but I do like seeing different cultures and their customs (the USA ain’t the arbiter of morality to the world…). Though we have been in Mexico at least 50 times, plus to Spain and other Latin American countries, but […]
Ambato Prepares for Carnaval Parade
We spent today exploring Ambato, seeing the city prepare for the big parades of the next two days. We started up by having a taxi take us to “that big Ecuador flag up on the hill.” We discovered that it is the “parque de la familia” and is an educational park intended to attract family, […]
